Sleeper coach



Feb. ll, 1941. D. E. AUSTIN E-r'Ax. 2,231,822

SLEEPER COACH Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 11, 1941. D. E. AUSTIN Erm.

SLEEPER COACH Filed Aug. 9, 1937 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 legs.

Patented Feb. 1l, 1941 lUNrrED fsTATE sLEErEa concu Dwight E. auutiu, runtiau, mth., and onine s. Caesar, Chicago, Ill., assigner: to Yellow Truck t Coach ltianui'acturingrv Company, Mich.,acorporation of MaineA Pontiac,

Application August 9, 1937*, sei-iai Nu. isaozt 9 canin. (ci. 15s-s) 'I'his invention relates to passenger conveyances and more particularly to sleeper coaches of the type having daytime seating accommodation convertible into berths for night travel.

One of the objects of the invention is to make the best use of available space in providing comfortable and spacious individual sleeping compartments in order that more passengers can be carried than is possible with the-conventional Pullman berth arrangement. Whereas in the conventional sleeper car one upper andvone lower berth is made up in the space occupied by two seats it is here. proposed to make up two upper berths and two lower berths in the space taken up by three seats soA that the number of sleeping passengers occupying a given space is increased twenty-ve per cent. In order that each berth can be a full length the width of the foot end is narrower than the-head end and the feet of two neighboring berths are nested together side by side, the Vpartition between adjacent berths extending diagonally across the vertical plane containing the berth longitudinal center line or being vof substantiallyv ogee shape in horizontal section so that the overlapping foot portions are each more than half the width of the berth proper toward the'head end from which they converge. Thus there is afforded a berth having a full length to take careof persons of large stature and a stepped width which conforms generally to his natural reclining shape, the full width being occupied bythe head, shoulders and body and the portion of gradually reduced width providing ample space for the feet and lower l Since the head and arms have anabundance of room and are in no waycramped the convergence at the foot is largely unnoticeablev and the mind of the-average person when occupying the berth will be free from a crowded feeling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a removable and collapsible partition which can be stowed away. conveniently when not in use and which can be quickly and easily set up to separate the overlapping foot portions of adjacent berths and which furthermore incorporates a raised shelf on each side tol support luggage, clothes and other possessions of the berth occupant. f

Another object is to provide a convertible. seating arrangement positioned on a raised deck between a body side wall-and a depressed aisle wherein the seat backs are pivotally mounted at the top for upward swinging movement into horizontal alignment with each other and the seat and back cushions are removable for replacement, respectively. on the raised iloor of the deck and on the upper tier of` raised seat backs to serve' as sleeping mattresses for both upper and lower berths.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following specication having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor coach which incorporates the sleeping arrangement;v Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of one section interiorly ofthe vehicle; Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure l; Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a section with a modified arrangement of seats; Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the section made up for sleeping purposes and Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the partition between adjoining compartments in the section.

The drawings illustrate the invention incorporated in a vehicle similar to that shown in copending application Serial No. 64,255, led February 1'?, 1936 by Dwight E. Austin. The body is supported upon front and rear road wheels I and 2 housed'within suitable wells in the opposite side walls 3 of the body. The engine or power plant for driving the rear wheels 2 is located within a compartment belowthe floor of the vehicle adjacent the -rear wall `and preferably is disposed transversely of the vehicle. Forward of the front wheels on the curb side of the vehicle is an entrance door 4 which leads by `way of a stepped platform 5 vto the central aisle 6, the drivers position being located beyond the aisle and toward the opposite side of the vehicle as shown in Figure 4. This aisle 6 is located one step up from the loading platform and constitutes a central depression.' in the floor of the vehicle, the raised side decks lof which extend yfrom the central aisle to the opposite side walls 3-3 on a level above the indented wheel housings so that the wheelhousings do not project into the passenger carrying compartment and disturb the continuity of the'iloor and interfere with seating arrangements. Below the iloor and between the front and rear wheels the space between the body side walls is utilized for storagev lockers, fuel tanks and the like, including the waste disposal tanks necessary if the vehicle is equipped with lavatories. Such lavatories wouldy be located interiorly of the vehicle at the rear and along one side of the aisle. v

' .The raised decks on the both sides of the aisle carry passenger seats which preferably are arranged in groups, each constituting a section as seen in Figures 2 and 5. In l'lgure 2 the seats indicated at A and B, one behind the other, face forwardly and the seat indicated at C faces rearwardly and each comprises a seat back AI, BI and CI, respectively, and a seat bottom A2, B2 and C2, respectively. The seat back and bottom preferably are formed from sheet metal panels.

having their margins beaded or flanged or se- "n cured to a rectangular stiffening frame and they are detachably connected together when arranged in the seating position. Removable cushions I are carried by each seat back and a pair of hingedly connected superposed cushions i and I are carried by each seat bottom. The seat bottoms are supported by detachable connections on the body side wall l and on the arm rests II which are detachably mounted on the edge of the deck l adjacent the depressed aisle l.

Each seat back is pivotally mounted at its upper edge on a transverse axis, the backs AI and CI, respectively, being supported upon transverse walls I2 permanently positioned at the ends of each section and projected upwardly from the floor to the top of the seat. In the case `of the seat back BI this is supported on one side by the body wall and at the aisle side by a vertical post I3. Each seat back is of a length corresponding substantially to the space between the seats so that when it is swung upwardly about its upper pivotal connection into horizontal alignment with the other seat backs a continuous ilat surface is ailorded substantially half way between the floor of the deck and the roof of the vehicle to divide the section into upper and lower compartments. In the upwardly swung position the free end of the back AI is connected to the body side wall 3 along one side and to the vertical post I3 at he other side. The free ends of the backs BI and CI may be joined together in the upward position and also supported along their inner sides by the body side wall. For this DllIpOse a bracket or panel in the side wall may be provided with vr-slots as illustrated at I4 to receive headed pins carried by the adjacent portions of the back panels.

When the berths are to be made up removable partitions IZA are secured above the upper edge of the several partitions I2 to form continuatlons hereof and to separate the upper compartments of adjacent sections. Then the cushions l, 9 and I0 are removed from the seats and the several seat bottoms separated from the respective seat backs and after the removable arm rests have been put -away in a suitable storage compartment,

he several backs are swung up into horizontal alignment with one another. The removable seat bottoms A2, B2 and C2 are secured together on end and placed at an intermediate position on .he aisle side of the compartments-to form a partial closure wall for the sections and a supporting column for the seat backs and especially the interconnected ends of the backsvBl and CI. This is illustrated in Figure 6 where-for clarity the sheet metal panels are omitted and the seat frames are shown as consisting each of. a tube bent to U-shape, the legs of which terminateln attachment eyes. Opposite endsof the cross bar of the U-shaped frame are formed with tubular portions adapted to receive suitable fastening pins which also pass through the terminal eyes of an adjacent superrosed frame with the terminal eyes of the lowermost frame being fastened or pinned to the noor. The cross bar of the uppermost frame may be pinned or otherwise fastened te the horizontal shelf or panel II in the upper similar compartment and pins may be through the side legs of the intermediate frame of the stack and adjacent side arms of the seat back frame. Y A 5 'Ihesetofseatcushionsand Ilarethen opened ont and placed upon the noot of the raised deck 1, their combined length being ellul to the length of the section to afford a continuous sleeping mattress. The set of back cushions l are 10 positioned on the upper'tier but since these are somewhat shorter than the length of the seat backs a supplemental cushion I 5 is added.

Both upper and lower portions of the section are Athen divided into successive individual comkpartments. For this purpose there is placed between the side wall l and the upright column of seat'pans a partition assembly which consists principally in a vertical wall of substantially Zgshape in horizontal section, the intermediate member Il extending diagonally across the longitudinal center line of the section and terminating in opposite end portions I1 and I8 which Join, respectively, with the side wall and vertical stack of seat pans. Thus eachsection is divided, as will be apparent from an inspection oi' Figure 4, into a pair of substantially triangular compartments having their sides convergent in opposite directions and the narrow portions arranged side by`side in overlapping relation. 3

The ogee wall may extend from the top to the bottom of the berths but in the present instance it is proposed to make use of the upper space at the foot of each compartment for containing luggage, wearing apparel or the like and accordingly the ogee wall is only about half as high as the compartment and over it is placed a flat horizontal panel Il from the center of which extends upwardly a transverse vertical wall 2l tocomplete the separating partition. On opposite sides of the wall 2l the panel I9 affords shelves to receive luggage as illustrated best in Figure 6. 'Ihe partitions for the compartments of both upper and lower compartments of the section are collapsible for daytime storage. 'I'hus in Figure 7: the ogee wall is shown as having the end portions I'I and Il foldably hinged to the intermediate member IC. Likewise the lower edge of the vertical. wall 20 is hinged to the shelf panel I! along a median line to befolded down against the upper side of the panel. Optionally the end members I1 and Il can be folded on the same side of the member Il and the upper edge of the member II hinged to the underside of the panel I 5 to afford a unitary collapsible assembly.

Slidable fabric curtains 2l are removably hung from fixed rails near the roof of' the vehicle to close the sleeping compartments from the aisle. The curtains, bed linens and the like may be stored in collapsible roof lockers not shown. For access to the upper compartment use may be made of a ladder o r the like and access to the lower compartment is directly from the depressed aisle 6 and in this connection it should be pointed out that since the floor of the deck is above the level of the aisle the berth occupant may sit at the edge of the berth with his feet in the aisle in a natural seated position when he enters or leaves the berth.

From the above description it will be apparent that there has been provided a vehicle usable for both day and night travel and constructed so as to be `convertible during transit with ease and to utilize to best advantage the space available for handling the maximum number of passengers in commodious and comfortable quarters. 75

We claim: f

l. In a construction of the character described, a pair of longitudinally extending sleeping berths arranged end to end, the width of each of which converges toward the foot thereof, and the converging lfeet portions of which are arranged in overlapping side by side relation whereby a person lying on a berth rests his head on the wider portion and his feet on the narrower portion thereof.

2. In a convertible berth arrangement, a series of three seats arranged in spaced relation behind one another in succession and .each comprising la back having a length substantially one-third the length of the space occupied by the series of seats and a separable bottom, means pivotally mounting each seat back at its upper endv for upward swinging movement into horizontal alignment one with another to provide upper and lower sections,

and partitions to extenddiagonally within thev upper and lower sections and separate each section into two compartments. l

3. In a passenger carrying vehicle having a side wall, an aisle, a series of seats between the aislev and side wall, each comprising a seat back and a detachable seat bottom, means pivotally mounting the seat backs near their upper ends for upward swinging movement intoho'rizontal allgn- A ment, detachable connections on the side wall to support the `free ends of the seat backs and means to assemble the detachable seat bottoms of a group of seats in end to end relation for vertical disposition beside the aisle for supplementing the wall connections in supporting the free ends of horlzontally positioned. seat backs.

' 4. In a sleeper vehicle, a section comprising the space normally occupied by three longitudinally spaced double seats and a footboard removably insertable in the section to extend across the longitudinal center line between diagonally .related points on opposite sides 'of the section for dividing said section into two longitudinally extending berths, said berths having end portions occupying f the full width of the opposite ends of the section for the head and shoulders o! reclining occupants and having overlapping narrower portions on opposite sides of said Iootboard for the feet of the occupants, whereby the total length of the section is less than that required for two full length berths'.

5. In a convertible sleeper vehicle, a section comprising space for a pair of longitudinally extending berths arranged in end to end succession, and a removable footboard projecting across the width of the section on a substantially diagonal line, dividing said space transversely into two sleeper berths, said berths having their end portions-remote from each other extending across the full width or the section i'or the head and shoulders of the occupants and having overlapping narrower portions on opposite sides of said footboard for the feet of said occupants, whereby the total length of the section is less than that required for two full length berths. a

6. In a convertible sleeper vehicle, a compartment occupied by three longitudinally spaced seat assemblies, means to adjust said seat assemblies to divide the compartment horizontally into upper and lower sections, each section being longer than a full length berth and shorter than two full length berths, a removable footboard extending diagonally across each section for dividing the same transversely into two full length longitudinally extending berths, each having a narrow portion bev each section and being of substantially cgee shape 25 in horizontal section so that the section spaces on opposite sides thereof longitudinally overlap and constitute two full length sleeping berths in each section and within the space normally occupied by said seat structures. f

`ii. In a passenger conveyance having sleeping berth space of a width corresponding to the width of one full size berth and a length greater than the length of one full size berth but less than the total length of two iull size berths, a pair of berths of full width at opposite ends of the space and of narrower width in the intermediate portion of said space, said narrower portions of the two berths being arranged side by side and having a combined width corresponding to the width of said space.

9. In a'passenger conveyance having sleeping berth space of an area in plan greater than the plan area of one full size berth but less than the combined plan area of two full size berths, a pair of berths occupying the whole or the plan area of said space and each having overall width and length dimensions corresponding` to a full size berth and being substantially L-shape in plan outline to provide a fullwidth head portion and a narrow foot portion, said berthsbeing tted together in nested relation with their head portions at opposite ends of the berth space and each occupying substantially one-hal! of the plan area of said space.

DWIGHT E. AUSTIN. ORVIILE S. CAESAR. 

